May remain dormant for life Fever fatigue Can cause serious disease in weakened

May remain dormant for life -Fever, fatigue Can cause serious disease in weakened immune system- retinitis, hepatitis, colitis, PNA, encephalitis -ART treatment Opportunistic Infections (OI) Persons with HIV infection can be susceptible to opportunistic infections (OI). Typically, persons with HIV are at risk of OI when their CD4 count falls below 200. The most common OI is pneumocystis Jiroveci pneumonia (PCP). It was called pneumocystis carnii pneumonia at one point but the name has been changed; however, the abbreviation remains the same. The organism is considered to be a fungus. The classic presentation of someone with PCP is slow and progressive. These individuals usually complain of dyspnea of gradual onset that is progressive and slowly gets worse over weeks. They are fatigued and will likely experience night sweats, weight loss, and have a poor appetite. A chest x-ray will reveal a butterfly pattern of infiltrates that extend from the center of the chest. Treatment and prevention include the administration of Bactrim. Disseminated HIV Complications Aside from Opportunistic Infections, HIV infection can lead to many complications and is really a multisystem disease. It can affect many body organs over time. African Americans with HIV infection are at the greatest risk of developing an HIV related nephropathy and must be monitored closely. Persons with HIV can have issues with anemia, peripheral neuropathy, lymphoma, HIV dementia, Kaposi sarcoma, diarrhea, pancytopenia, cardiomegaly and they are prone to many dermatologic issues. Signs of Immunocompromise in a person with HIV You should be familiar with these signs.  Thrush  Cervical dysplasia  Cervical carcinoma in situ  Fever of 38.5 or greater x one month  Oral hairy leukoplakia  Herpes Zoster  Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)  Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)  Peripheral neuropathy  Vaginal yeast infections that are persistent, frequent, or poorly responsive  Kaposi Sarcoma  Presence of any opportunistic infection